


Butterfly

by life_not_knife



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 10:42:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6371620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/life_not_knife/pseuds/life_not_knife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘It spreads its wings wide and bright, fluttering in the light of the sun like the dust that clings to the pages of parchment on the shelf.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	Butterfly

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It spreads its wings wide and bright, fluttering in the light of the sun like the dust that clings to the pages of parchment on the shelf. He stretches his hand out, fingertips longing to touch the beauty but pads meeting smooth, cold glass. It was a year ago today, he remembers every image like much less time has passed. Although his heart has begun to heal, the pain is still there. A deep ache and an unending longing for the past.

“Taemin” he whispers under his breath and watches as the glass before him freezes over, his face reflected by the now white surface. His hand flattens against it, palm warm and soft as it melts the frost around it, leaving a large print. His eyes marvel at the wonders of both nature and science.

“Jonginnie!” A voice breaks across the classroom, making the younger boy jump and remove his hand, the once perfect print condensing and crying as streaks mark the window and drip from the heel of his palm. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” The older boy puffs out, apple cheeks glowing and lips smiling so bright they threaten to melt the winter wonderland that lays just outside the library window.

“T-tae…what are you doing here?” Jongin responds, his eyes unfocused and voice tight as he looks in shock at the boy before him. He stands, unable to fully comprehend how the beautiful boy is standing opposite him. As he does, Taemin’s gaze doesn’t lift or falter, his face remains in an easy expression and he is… looking through Jongin. The tanned boy turns on his heel and his face morphs in horror as he sees a younger but identical version of himself still sat where he once was. The figure also stands, mirroring Jongin’s previous action. “Let’s just go!” The younger Jongin hisses and the older version watches in disbelief and sadness as Taemin’s face pulls down from his delicate and at ease expression to a frown, one that doesn’t belong on such an innocent face.

He monitors closely as his other self walks out of the room and away from the upset boy still in the library. Jongin reaches forwards to take Taemin’s hand in his own, to tell him not to worry and that his past self is just in a bad mood. His fingers grasp but close in on themselves, the delicate wrist slipping through his own. “T-tae! Can you hear me? Tae!” Jongin is shouting now as he realises that the older male cannot see him. Taemin is walking away, jogging lightly to catch up with the other Jongin, the one who doesn’t seem to appreciate how wonderful and amazing Taemin is.

His right foot lifts and moves forward, ready to run and pursue until the world around him spins, colours melting like a wax sculpture left in the sun. He watches the brown mahogany walls of the library as they melt away to leave the bare rafters visible until they too disappear, crumbling around him. The floor shifts a few times beneath his worn out converse, the ceiling crumbling until he sees a familiar picture surface to his left.

Taemin’s face alongside his own stares back at him, their grins matching, their faces only 10 years old. He watches as the colours rush by his head to form the rest of the room. His room.

Jongin is laid on the bed, Taemin at his feet reading a book as usual. “The declaration” by Gemma Malley. Taemin’s all time favourite book. He must have read it over thirty times since he bought it in 2008.

“What was that about earlier?” The older male asks, his eyes finally lifting from the worn pages to glance at Jongin’s lounging figure.

“What do you mean?” The younger is nonchalant, shoulders shrugging but his eyes never lift from the screen of his phone.

“You’re doing it now. Have I done something wrong?” Taemin asks, voice small and quiet.

“You tell me.” Jongin replies, harsh. His eyes piercing as he throws his phone onto the mattress.

“Uhm….” Taemin mumbles, trying to think of what he could have possibly done wrong.

“Really? There’s nothing you want to tell me?” Jongin probes, his face scrunching in anger.

“No…why…have you heard something?” Taemin is confused and genuine, to present Jongin it is obvious; to an anger clouded Jongin, not so much.

“Just leave!” Jongin raises his voice, the older male flinching.

“I don’t understand…there’s nothing to…” He begins, desperately trying to plead his case.

“Leave! Come back when you’re ready to admit what’s going on.” Jongin hisses.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Jongin! Tell me what is going on!” Taemin shouts now, he is upset and confused and Jongin just isn’t listening.

“I saw you! I saw you and Jinki…in the maths classroom at break time. Now leave!” Jongin is angry, he remembers being angry at what he saw. Angry that Taemin didn’t and still wasn’t telling him.

“I can explain that Jongin…Jinki hyung was…” Taemin began but was once again cut off. This time not by the younger male’s voice but by the sound of breaking glass. The photograph hitting the wall, glass smashing and photo falling onto the floor amongst the shards. Two smiling faces. Two ten year old best friends. Surrounded by the remnants of their most treasured memories.

“Fine, I’ll leave but we are talking about this when you have calmed down!” Taemin says with a stern voice as he slams Jongin’s door shut behind him.

Present day Jongin wants to take that device from its place on the mattress and delete all the vicious messages that were messing with his head at the time, masking the truth.

Taemin left his house that night. The road was dark and Taemin was in all black clothing. A drunk driver knocked him down. Hit and run, left him behind bleeding onto the cold, frosted pavement. It took a long time for someone to find him, the black canvas of the road alongside the darkness of his clothes masking him from the world.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author's Note:**

> I found this is my computer and I hadn’t posted it for some reason. It was inspired by BTS’s ‘Butterfly’ when it came out. I just re-read it and decided to share it with you all.


End file.
